European Romance
by BSEAMC
Summary: Bella resides in America, but is taking a trip to Europe. Here she meets Edward, a European student, who surprisingly takes interest to her. They fall in love, but she can't stay in a foreign country forever. Would they meet again?
1. Chapter 1- Sad Goodbyes

This is a fanfiction surrounding the Edward and Bella romance. It's a little late, but I still love the Twilight series.

 _ **Bella resides in America, but is taking a trip to Europe. Here she meets Edward, a European student, who surprisingly takes interest to her. They fall in love, but she can't stay in a foreign country forever. Would they meet again?**_

Disclaimer: Stephene Meyer owns all Twilight content and characters. I just add on a little.

Chapter One- Sad Goodbyes

The Washington International Airport was busier than expected. All around, there were different people doing various things: eating, sleeping, and running to their gate. I, on the other hand, was always punctual.

In my hands I held my bags, secretly nervous of my trip to Europe. My parents, Renee and Charlie, were both sad to see me go. Although, I can assume that they would enjoy their private time.

"Oh, honey," my mother exclaimed. "We'll miss you so much!" She was obviously holding back tears. I knew she wouldn't cry. She would be concerned that she would ruin my trip.

My father just nodded in approval of what my mom said, and hugged my tenderly.

"I'm going to miss ya kid." He leaned in closer, and whispered, "And your cooking." He was most concerned about food, of course.

My father was unsuccessful in his attempt to whisper, and my mother hit him.

"I'll be fine," I tried to speak reassuringly. But, I was really trying to convince myself.

In truth, I had no idea of what was ahead of me. I had never been anywhere other than Forks, Washington. I had never experienced something so… different.

These thoughts were in my head as I entered security, where my parents could no longer follow me.

"Bye, Sweetie!" my mother practically screamed. My father attempted to hush her, but without success. She proceeded to yell, but was ultimately stopped by a middle aged security guard. She looked disappointed.

I turned around, shedding a silent tear- almost a tear of joy.

The process of checking each individual person was grueling; although, the security system didn't seem too overly concerned about an 18 year old pale teenager. I got out without any problems and proceeded to my gate.

I felt as if I needed to do this for myself. I needed to be alone and independent for a while.

Because of my punctuality, I would be staying there for another two hours. I sat down in one of the uncomfortable airport chairs. Gate 17 was almost empty, except for girl that looked like a fairy.

She was small with a petite figure, and had short black hair that poked in all directions. She had impeccable fashion choices, all brand names. I would have rolled my eyes, but she had a kind persona. She was reading a novel. It was titled "Romeo and Juliet." I admired her choice of literature.

There had been thirty seconds of comfortable silence before she introduced herself.

"Hi! I'm Alice," she practically squealed. She looked eager for my response.

"I'm Bella."

"Hm. Bella, I like it. And Bella, why are you going to Europe?" Wow. She wasn't shy.

"Oh, I'm travelling. I just finished high school, so I figured, why not?"

She looked shocked. I was about to ask what was wrong but she beat me to it.

"Me too!" She yelled. I tried to ignore the annoyed glances we were receiving. I didn't know Alice enough to tell her to be quiet.

"That's great. Maybe we could stick together." This made her very excited.

Over the next two hours, we talked about a lot of things. Her energy never wavered. I learned that she was meeting her brother there; I think his name was Edward. She had a family here in Washington, and sure enough, in my home town.

By the time she finished her monologue, the flight attendants were calling zones to board the airplane.

Sure enough, I and Alice shared a row.

Being as clumsy as I was, I had a hard time packing away my bag and sitting down. Alice, unlike I, was graceful and was easily able to pack away her designer bags.

The flight from the US to Europe was long enough for I and Alice to have lengthy converations.

"So. Do you have a boyfriend?"

I coughed on the cheap coffee I was drinking. "Um, no."

"Dating was never really my thing."

"Oh," she seemed disappointed. "Well, maybe you'll take a liking to my brother." She subtly winked.

"I don't think so. I'm leaving home to be alone." She appeared to be upset. I hoped I hadn't hurt her feelings. I actually liked spending time with her. She made up for the enthusiasm that I so desperately needed.

"But I'd like to stay with you," I said as cheerfully as possible.

"Great!" she said and looked away, as if planning our itineraries already.

I was getting tired, so I decided to close my eyes. Hours later, I found myself being jolted awake by the landing airplane.

"You're up!" Alice exclaimed.

I groaned.

She continued on about how exited she was and I zoned off, nodding occasionally. I was really thinking about what was to come.

When the flight attendants had announced that it was safe to exit the plane, I and Alice were the first to leave. It was evident that we were both exited, so people moved.

The dynamic of the airport was much different than our small airport back home. We had a hard time locating the bag terminal, despite all of the signs and arrows.

Once we received help, countless times, we arrived at the check in bag collection. I figured that it would be the best option because I was staying for a whole month. Alice had been thinking the same thing.

There were many impatient faces; it usually took a while for the red light to turn on and the bags to come out. So, we had about twenty minutes to talk.

After a small amount of time, Alice decided to speak. She looked as if she were holding something to herself. "My brother Edward is coming to help me. Well, I guess, us. I think she expected be to be upset.

"Okay?" I didn't understand the problem.

"Well, Edward is… you could say, attractive. All the girls go after him, and I loose friends over it. He is quite arrogant about his looks." She was breathing heavily. It was a lot to say. She continued, "So just, please, don't become so mesmerized that you forget me."

Wow, was she exaggerating. "Alice, a guy, no matter how attractive, will make me forget about you." She didn't look reassured.

"You'll see." She looked off in another direction, in anticipation. I had my back to whatever- or whoever- she was looking at.

I turned my head and began to speak to Alice about her false accusations. "Alice, you are exaggera-"

At that moment, I saw who I presumed to be Edward.

He was beautiful. He had messy bronze hair, rugged features (but soft, in a way), and emerald green eyes. His grey shirt hugged his perfect body in just the right way. I couldn't help mysleft fro looking him up and down. We met eyes, onced I reached his face. I blushed, obviously flustered.

I could've sworn that I saw a cocky smile, but it vanished just as fast as it appeared. I thought he was coming at me, until he swept right passed me; leaving the scent of a warm cologne. I didn't know who he was heading to until I heard a familiar screech.

"Edward!" Alice yelled, oblivious to the watching eyes surrounding us.

"Ali!" He responded, in a smooth and velvety voice. He swooped her up into his arms, as if she weighed nothing. "Oh, Ali, I missed you so much."

They finished their extensive greetings and Alice turned to me. "Edward, this is Bella. She just so happened to be travelling to London, as well."

He extended his hand to me, which I took, after I shook myself out of the Edward induced haze that I was in.

"Nice to meet you." He calmly stated. "I'm Edward, although, I believe you already knew that."

"Yes," I replied shakily. "Alice told me about you on the flight over." I realized that I had been staring into his eyes when he turned back to Alice.

"Right this way ladies," he spoke, turning to the indicated exit just a few feet away.

He seemed to have picked up the accent, making him even more attractive. Alice noticed my apparent swooning and elbowed me.

Out of hearing distance, she whispered, "Keep it in your pants!" I would be annoyed if I were her too.

I heard a deep and quiet chuckle. _Alice!_

 **Thanks you guys for reading! I know it's a little late, but I am still in love with the twilight romance story. Hopefully the whole 'Edward the hottie' storyline isn't used too much. I'll try to mix it up for you guys. This is my first story so please let me know of any problems with the structure or grammar. I will attempt to update within 5 days at a time. Thanks again, PLEASE REVIEW!**


	2. Chapter 2- Penthouse

**Chapter Two- Penthouse**

I was still reminiscing over Alice's brother as we waited for him to come back with his car. I planned to act as if he were just another person, for Alice's sake. It wasn't fair to her for me to pay attention to her brother. She told me of her failed friendships; this motivated me to try my hardest. It still didn't stop me from looking into the passenger side window as he pulled up.

I stood up from the dirty bench and proceeded to his now stopping car. I followed Alice's lead.

He had a sleek silver Volvo. How classy. Maybe Alice and her gorgeous brother came from money. I was just planning to call a cab for myself, but this was an upgrade.

Alice jumped gracefully into the front seat as I struggled to get into the back seat with my bulky bags.

Edward noticed my troubles, and hopped out of the car, circling around the back of the car.

"Let me help you with that," he warmly said. I let him, but just because I wasn't quite aware of what was happening.

Like a gentleman, he graciously took my bags in his muscular hands. With and side glance and grin, he threw them in the back of the car. As sweet as it was, I hated that he thought that I couldn't do it myself. Did I look weak?

"I could have done it myself," I said sternly. I felt bad immediately. He was probably just trying to help.

"You're welcome," he replied just as rudely. _Okay, so that's how he was going to play it._

Being my classy self, I gave him my best resting bitch face. He obviously got the message, and focused on the car.

Alice sensed his tenseness, and glanced back at me with a questioning look. I tried to look like I had no idea what she was implying.

Once that was settled, I looked out the window, and saw the scenery I was missing with my catty attitude. Because we were still near the airport, there wasn't much beautiful architecture, only a breathtaking landscape. In Forks, I was used to dreary weather constantly, but now the sun was shining brightly through the fluffy white clouds. There were miles of rolling grass fields, filled with various wild flowers. Edward noticed my awe, and scoffed.

I was beginning to not like Edward. It seemed plausible, considering his good looks. I couldn't hide my disappointment; I was hoping that something would be different with Edward. It seemed that in this world, that it was incredibly difficult to find a person nice and attractive. It's like God had to make the decision for each person.

I was cold; the AC seemed to be at one of the lower settings- I shivered. Edward must have heard this, because he reached his hand towards the controls. I was thinking that he would be kind and turn on the heat, but- no. He spun the dial even lower. _Wow._ How were he and Alice members of the same family.

I could tell that he was just trying to get a rise out of me, so I ignored him. _Take that._ I opened my carry on, and instead of getting my sweater, I got my headphones. Once they were plugged in, I began to play a song- "Come Together," by the Beatles. I always loved songs from the 60s.

After about thirty seconds, I started to receive stares from Edward. Annoyed, I pulled out my earbud, and angrily asked, "What is is?"

He seemed just as mad, especially at my response. "It's just a little hard when the Beatles are blaring from the backseat," he snapped.

Shocked that he knew what was playing, I turned down the volume many notches. Alice appeared to be angry at Edward, and hit him.

"Don't be rude. You know you love that song," she sternly spoke. _Wow. We have something in common._

The rest of the ride went smoothly, with the occasional conversation between Alice and Edward. I asked a couple questions about what I was seeing. They were answered, but not without annoyance.

Soon, we were surrounded by historical buildings. I was thankful that the whole population of London wasn't as beautiful and arrogant as Edward. There were cute stores and cafes all around, and I was looking forward to exploring.

Alice started the conversation. "What hotel do you think that I- well, we- should stay at?" she asked, concerned.

"Don't be silly, Alice. You can stay with me, of course," he replied with a British-American accent. It was so seductive. _Stop!_

"I'm not staying anywhere without Bella," she implied. I didn't understand her deep connection with me. We had just met.

"It's okay, I can-"I began to speak.

"-I suppose that's okay. She can stay with you in the guest room. If you're"-gesturing to Alice-"okay with that."

That was so rude! Why would he cut me off? He wasn't even considering me.

"Yeah!" Alice squealed. Edward and I both winced. Being in such close proximity didn't help.

"Thank you," I replied. No response. This would be fun.

"No problem, his place has _so_ much space!" Alice replied. I was curious now.

Streets and people passed by, and soon enough, were in front of a tall building, which I could only assume was Edward's apartment building. It was beautiful; it was old fashioned and off white. The building had its own door man, dressed in a formal red uniform. Huh. Fancy.

I stepped out of the car, a little bit wobbly; we had been in the car for around two hours. I was about to tip over, but two strong hands caught me.

My heart beat quickened, and once I stood up, I met his gaze.

"Can you at least stand up straight?" Edward spoke, both humorously and annoyed. I ignored him, and proceeded to the back of his car to get my bags. He beat be to it, and already had them out by the time I reached him. _Great, show off._

I took my bags from his hands, to his dismay. He obviously wanted to display his masculinity. I rolled my bags over the curb and walked to the entrance. Alice and Edward caught up to me, just in time for the doorman to open it for them. I was behind them, farthest from the door.

Edward passed by the doorman without a glance. "Mr. Cullen," the doorman forcefully spoke.

"Mike," Edward hissed.

As the door man held the door for me, his eyes travelled up my body. He, himself, had a baby face and chubby arms; which even a uniform couldn't fix. After he mentally humped me, he whistled.

Edward, already inside and speaking at the front desk, heard this and turned his head. He looked to be disgusted, and cursed profanities under his breath. _Jealousy, oh perfect one?_ Just to get under his skin, I took a pen out of my bag, and asked Mike if I could wright on his hand.

 _813-111-1111._ Of course, a fake number, but Edward nor 'Mike,' as read by his plastic name tag, needed to know this. I glanced up just in time to see Edward's confused and disgusted face. This was going to be fun. Alice gestured for me to hurry to the elevator. I got there just in time. Thankfully, Alice was holding the door. Edward, for sure, would have left me.

Once inside, I relaxed against the elevator wall. I was so tired; Alice hadn't let me get much sleep on the plane. Alice nudged me, causing me to open my eyes.

"What are you doing?" she scolded.

"Closing my eyes?" I replied questioningly.

"No. Giving that guy your number," she said, calming down a little.

I planned to draw this out as much as possible. "I don't know, Alice. Maybe I want a European romance," I said, while smirking. Edward groaned, and I laughed internally.

"Ew. Not with that guy," she replied, disgusted.

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened, revealing a large and gorgeous room. I hadn't realized that we went up so high, because we got out of the elevator at _penthouse_ level.

 **Hi guys! I know that this chapter is short, and is a cliffy. Next chapter should be longer, and should advance the plot. That is, Edward and Bellas relationship. Thanks for reading! Review… if you want. *Hint hint***


	3. Chapter 3- The Library

**Previously on European Romance-**

 _The elevator dinged, and the doors opened, revealing a large and gorgeous room. I hadn't realized that we went up so high, because we got out of the elevator at penthouse level._

Chapter Three-The library

I was amazed, to say in short. The floors were mixed marble, and there were expensive throw rugs strewn awry. Two leather couches were facing an enormous plasma screen television. Large windows opened up to show the whole city below us. A spiral staircase led up to a second floor, which you could see partially due to a balcony. Connected to the living area was an open kitchen area with an island. Stainless steel kitchen supplies were strategically placed around.

I showed my amazement without concealment, which was obvious to both Alice and Edward. Alice simply nodded, understanding of my reaction, but Edward scoffed. _Why that arrogant son of a-_

Edward interrupted my thoughts. "Yours's and _Bella's_ room is upstair,"he forcefully spoke, gesturing only to Alice. I must've dropped my bags in my reaction because he picked them up and handed them to me. "Watch your stuff, please" he said, as rudely as possible. Any kindness previously in-between us was gone.

"Sure," I spat back. Meanwhile, Alice whisked him away and appeared to be sternly speaking to him. He was retorting just as sternly.

I didn't like being such a burden to him, as much as I didn't like him. I wondered what kind of job he had to have such an apartment; maybe a doctor or lawyer. But he looked so young.

I looked around one more time before climbing the stairs. When I reached the top, I was just as amazed as I was before.

There was a long hallway with caramel colored walls and floor. The hallway had four separate doors, two on either side. I had no idea which one was mine and Alice's. Thankfully, she was now by my side, taking it inas much as I was. "Wow," she breathed, "those stairs were monsters."

"I think that they are worth it," I said, while taking in my surroundings. Even the hallways in this house were eloquent.

"Yeah, I agree. Edward is so lucky," she sighed, enviously. _She_ was so lucky, to have such a good gene pool. "What does he do?" I questioned.

"Oh," she said, understanding my reasons for questioning. "He's a writer. You may have read some for his books." She said this casually, making me curious.

Alice continued down the hallway, and opened the second on the left to reveal a large room. It had the same qualities of the downstairs room; very modern with great window. The room had the same floors and walls as the hallway. There was only one bed, and it had a beautifly made white duvet cover on it. I didn't mind sharing a bed with anyone, especially Alice.

I and Alice set our bags in the corner. "Do you want to unpack now?" she asked. "We could do that or go downstairs and hang out with Edward," she spoke jokingly.

I probably looked disgusted, because she laughed. "I'm just kidding."

"Wow. You're so funny," I replied mockingly. "What's his problem anyways?" I questioned with angst in my voice.

"Oh. I'm not sure. I spoke to him, but he was a wall. I couldn't get anything out of him. He's probably just upset that I invited you to his house without consulting him," she spoke smoothly.

"Oh… I can go, Alice," I said, feeling very much like a burden. I've always hated intruding, which may have been the reason I had only a couple friends in high school.

She looked mortified. "No! I mean, please don't. He's just grumpy. I think he had a girlfriend that dumped him," she pondered. "He may have actually loved her. She was probably just leeching off of him."

I had a sudden pang of grief. _Why does that affect me so much? I don't even know him._

"That… sucks." I mentally noted that I would try to be kinder to him. I mean, I _was_ staying in his home, charge free.

She nodded but didn't respond. I didn't think that she wanted to talk about it. I felt as if there was more to talk about there. Her eyes lit up, ignoring the awkward feeling. "Let's have dinner," she suggested. "It's getting late."

I suddenly realized that I was hungry. I hadn't eaten since this morning, at the airport. I actually thought for a second that I smelled food. Alice sniffed, as if she smelled it too. "Edward made food!" she exclaimed. She rushed out of the room, and I followed slowly, but eagerly. I for some reason wanted to appear _casual._

I arrived downstairs and Alice was already in the kitchen. Wow, she was fast. She was reading what appeared to be a note. When she was finished, she looked up, almost disappointed. She dismissed these feelings, and beckoned me over.

I rushed over to find beautifully made food. When Alice went to the opposite side of the kitchen to get utensils, I quickly read the note.

 _Went out. I made dinner for you and our guest._

 _E_

I could sense the anger in his writing; especially in _our guest._ Despite this, it was in perfect writing. It looked almost as if it belonged in the 1800s. It made sense, if he were a writer for a living.

By then, Alice had returned with forks and knifes. She began to serve what he had made. It was obviously Italian food. We sat down and ate, and didn't speak much. Alice looked deep in thought, so I didn't bother her.

After dinner, I felt like going for a run. I was never athletic, so it was a real challenge for me. Yet, I was motivated, due to the abundant food I had just eaten. So, I ran upstairs and opened my bag.

I took out some exercise clothes; which weren't really created for exercise. I decided to wear an old Forks High School t-shirt. It spelled out, "Forks High School Battle of the Books." I wasn't proud of who I was in high school. I was certainly not popular. I was okay with that though. For my bottoms, I just wore Nike spandex. I wasn't trying to look pretty. On top of that, a simple pony tail. On my arm, I stuck my IPod for music. I was probably just going to listen to the Beatles to drown out my panting.

Alice came into our room, took in my attire, and told me to be safe. Also, to call her if Mike jumped me. I would call her before the police; she was very aggressive.

Once I got downstairs, I pressed the elevator button and waited. The doors opened, and I stepped in. I pushed the button labeled "L." I received some weird glances once I got into the lobby. I started running when I was outside Mikes line of sight.

The scenery was beautiful; ancient buildings, parks, cafes- everywhere. I wished I lived in an area this populous. I was drenched in sweat when I saw a cute library at the corner of the street. No cars were on the road, so I jogged over.

On either side of the library door, there were little trimmed bushes. Christmas lights were strewn on the outside of the library. The door was maroon and paneled with glass. As I opened the door, there was a little jangle of a bell. _Cute,_ I thought to myself. I was a sucker for cute decorations.

The library wasn't busy at all, and there was no one currently at the front desk. I shrugged, and continued to the rows and rows of books.

I usually read the classics; Wuthering Heights, Romeo and Juliet, To Kill a Mockingbird. And I read them over and over again. But, today, I felt more inclined to visit the romance section. Weird. I skimmed over the cheesy titles, and the authors, when suddenly I stopped in my tracks.

I read a title- "Violent Ends," by _Edward Cullen._ Oh my goodness. I began to read the summary.

 _A bad ending to a perfec-_

I heard a throat clear behind me. I slowly turned around, expecting to see a stranger, but saw _Edward,_ in the flesh. My face turned red, and I quickly put away the book.

"What are you doing here?" he questioned, angrily. I assumed that he knew what I was reading. "Oh, I was just running, and saw this book store." I realized that I didn't like him and spoke, "But I don't have to explain myself to you." My annoyance was obvious. He replied with a simple, "Okay."

He turned to walk away, but I stopped him. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I'm the bookkeeper on Saturday nights," he replied coolly. "But I don't have to explain myself to you," he spoke, quoting me.

I huffed and ran out the door. Not upset, just angry. I continued down the street, pondering what just happened.

Then, I heard a familiar voice calling at me.

 **Thanks for reading. There was some more (hostile) ExB time. It'll get better. I kinda like the relationships that develop from pure hatred. Please review! Haven't gotten any yet. I will update ASAP.**


	4. Chapter 4- Secure

Previously on European Romance-

 _I huffed and ran out the door. Not upset, just angry. I continued down the street, pondering what just happened._

 _Then, I heard a familiar voice calling at me._

Chapter Four- Secure

"Bella!"

I turned around, and saw Mike. He was jogging the remaining space between us. I certainly wasn't going to walk towards _him._ I suddenly realized that I had purposefully given him the wrong number before. It was too late to run now. He was going to be mad.

"Hi, Mike. How are you?" I spoke politely, despite my instincts to flee. He was so sleazy. He gave me a sickening feeling.

He scoffed. "How am I?" he yelled. "How am I?" he spoke, even angrier. "I would be much better if you gave me the right number," he spat, advancing closer. To be honest, I was getting scared. He was so close now; I could smell alcohol in his breath. It was also getting dark.

I attempted to coax him. "Mike, it was an accident. Calm down. You're drunk, aren't you? Don't do something you'll regret. Take a step back." I was getting pissed.

"Me? Take a step back? If you didn't want me to touch you, you wouldn't have worn those spandex," he spat. He then proceeded to corner me in front of an empty building. No one could help me now. He trailed his hand on my back, lower and lower. His mouth came forcefully to mine; it wasn't pleasing at all. He was much stronger than he looked. I was internally screaming and crying. I mustered a punch to the stomach but that only made his angrier. He pushed me to the ground and was almost successful in removing my clothes when he was pulled off of me.

I gathered myself, and stood up. This is when I realized that 1) Edward was here and 2) He was giving _Mike_ the beating of his life. I was going to join in, but my humane self attempted to stop the fight.

Edward continued to punch him, while speaking angrily under his breath. I think that he thought I couldn't hear him.

"Why you son of a- I'm gonna kill you- never touch a girl- you sick bastard," all in between punches. Mike's retaliations were small in comparison to Edwards.

While Edward was fighting Mike, I managed to tear my eyes away to look at myself. When I was pushed down, I must have gotten hurt. I was a little preoccupied at the time to notice that I was bleeding; I was also crying. I had never experienced something like that. I felt internally dirty and I was so thankful for Edward. If he hadn't shown up, well, I would currently be… _oh._

I shook myself away from the thought, and focused on what was going on in front of me. Mike was now unconscious and bleeding all over. Edward was still punching him guiltlessly on the sidewalk. No one, except for me, was around to stop him.

"Edward!" I pleaded, not angry, just helpless. I was ready to go home and cry in the shower; to crawl up in someone's arms. I was crying hopelessly, more than I was used to. I was normally resilient, and strong. But I wasn't going to pretend for anyone now, not even Edward.

He broke away long enough to look into my eyes, and stopped. He stood up, looking sad; sad, for me. He walked slowly to me. I didn't know him that well, but that didn't stop me from falling into his arms. He caught me, and swooped me up in a tight grasp. He smoothed my hair, dried my shed tears, and told me that it was going to be okay. It was so weird. If anyone else had done what he had, it would've felt different… not as safe.

"Shhh, Bella, you're safe now," he gently spoke. I was tired, but I recognized the sincerity in his voice. This was so different from what I had experienced earlier today. I was still whimpering when we got back to the building.

Edward marched right in, and ignored the concerned glances. Someone pushed the elevator button for him, and he quietly nodded to them. Soon, we were in his house. He effortlessly carried me up the stairs in his strong arms. Alice must've been sleeping, because the house was silent.

Instead of taking me to mine and Alice's room, he continued to _his_ room, and into the bathroom. He took off his shoes and shirt, and my shoes and IPod, and stepped into the shower with me still in his arms.

"Edward, what are you, "I began. He turned on the warm water, interrupting my words. I wasn't going to complain. The water rushed down my body, and cleansed all that it could. There were parts of me that not even water could fix.

He cradled me against his bare chest, and mourned with me. I continued to cry, and he continued to listen. We must've been there for fifteen minutes in silence before he turned off the water.

Without speaking, he wrapped me in a towel and set me on a chair in his bathroom. He left, leaving me to think about what had just happened. I had been assaulted, and the last person I expected to show up, did. I didn't understand his compassion towards me, considering all that had happened today.

Just then he came in, and handed me a large shirt and sweatpants. He never looked into my eyes; maybe he was ashamed. He looked as if he were about to say something meaningful, but only said, "I'm sorry. Really." He sounded so sad for me. He stepped out of the bathroom, leaving me to change, I assumed. I understood his lack of words.

I stood up, and pealed the wet clothes off of my body. I looked at myself in the mirror. To be honest, I was disgusted. I was pale, and broken. I had bruises all over, and a cut on my shoulder that was no longer bleeding. My eyes were puffy, and my hair had knots. Considering what had just happened, I didn't blame myself. I only blamed myself for being so stupid.

I threw on the t-shirt and sweat pants. They smelled like Edward, and I liked it. _No. You cannot like him,_ I mentally scolded myself. But, because I was so tired, I didn't care. I threw my wet clothes into the corner, and left the bathroom.

In Edwards dimly lit room, he was sitting on the edge of the king-sized bed, head in hands. In a way, I felt bad for him. I wished that he hadn't seen me like that. But, I needed him to be there for me.

I waded over to him and spoke softly. "I'm sorry you had to see me like that." I was genuine. He looked up at me as if I were crazy.

"Bella," he spoke, " _never_ be sorry for what just happened." He was also genuine with his words. He stood up, walked over to me and held my hands in his. He, for the first time since we got back home, looked into my eyes. "You just went through something that is harder than anything I will ever experience in my whole life. _Never_ be sorry for that." That was the most I has ever heard him speak.

"Thank you," I breathed.

I looked up at him, into his eyes. He was so beautiful. "I should probably leave now," I suggested. Even though, for some reason, I wanted to stay with Edward.

"No," he spoke sternly. "Alice will wake up, and you'll have to explain this evening to her. I don't want you to have to go through that. You can tomorrow, if you're up to it. Not tonight. You can sleep in my bed." He gestured to his bed, and I didn't complain. He had an inviting comforter.

I climbed into his bed, not protesting. I was too tired to argue. "I'll sleep on the couch," he spoke, walking in a different direction. He turned out the lights, and sunk into his couch. I was thankful that the lights were turned out, because I could decompress in the silence and dark.

After a while, I heard a sigh from Edward's direction. "Edward?" I spoke, concerned. "Yes?" he replied shakily. I wondered why. Maybe he was just as affected by this whole thing.

"How did you find me? I was far away from the library," I spoke, uneasily.

He seemed upset that I asked him this. "I was coming to apologize. But, when I looked in the direction of where you ran, you were gone. It was all too peculiar," he spoke in his velvety voice.

"Oh," I sighed. I was so thankful. Without me prompting, Edward spoke again, this time angrily.

"That bastard deserved much more than I gave him."

I didn't respond. I only shed a silent tear; I would never be the same. Edward saved me, but I would never feel as secure in my life.

These thoughts swirled in my head as I fell asleep.

I was walking down the street, when a pair of strong hands grabbed me. I struggled, but they never let go.

"Let me go!" I screamed. I had a feeling of disgust.

There was a deep and evil chuckle from the man who was holding me.

He moved his hands down….

"Bella," a warm voice spoke, while shaking me awake. I opened my eyes in a panic.

"Bella, you're okay, you're safe with me." I looked up at him. He seemed so worried for me, and I felt bad. He definitely didn't deserve this. Not after what Alice told me about him.

 _With me._ I liked that.

I was sweating and my heart was beating rapidly. I was still so scared. I pulled him down from his currently sitting position and into my arms, lying down. In any other circumstance, I wouldn't have done that, but I felt that it was necessary. At least, for me.

I relaxed with my face in his chest, and feeling his heartbeat. This wouldn't have been the same with Alice. That was for sure.

Once he relaxed from his stiff position, he began to comfort me. He ran his fingers through my hair, and sung a soft melody. I liked it; it was beautiful. We both had a mutual understanding of what was going on. I think that he knew that I needed this, more than anything.

I drifted into a deep sleep, secure in his arms. I had no idea of what tomorrow would bring; if I would be able to move on, or if this would haunt me forever. All that I knew was that I had never felt so serene and protected in his arms.

 **So we finally have something between Edward and Bella, other than fighting. So this chapter was super emotional and necessary for the plot. This gave me butterflies just writing it. I hoped you enjoyed. There wasn't much dialogue in this chapter, which is kinda understandable considering what happened. Thanks for reading. Review?**


End file.
